October 1st, 2025
5:15 – 6:45 PM
Annenberg School Room 110, 3620 Walnut Street (Get Directions)
University of Pennsylvania
This program is Free but requires Registration
Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Center for East Asian Studies are proud to present a Rakugo Workshop with Kazumi Hatasa of Purdue University and Rakugo Master Ryūtei Saryū. This is a unique opportunity to learn about the traditional Japanese storytelling performance art of Rakugo.
What is Rakugo?
Rakugo is a 400-year-old tradition of storytelling in Japan. A minimalistic performing art, Rakugo features a lone storyteller dressed in kimono, kneeling on a cushion, who, using only a fan and a hand towel as props, entertains the audience with a comic prelude followed by a traditional story.
The workshop will include:
- A lecture on Rakugo as an art of Storytelling by Kazumi Hatasa
- Introduction to Yose Theatre by Kazumi Hatasa
- Demonstration of Shigusa gestures used in Rakugo by Kazumi Hatasa and Ryūtei Saryū
- Rakugo Performance by Ryūtei Saryū, with a brief introduction by Kazumi Hatasa
Your donation helps to support Japanese arts, business, and cultural programs in Philadelphia including the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival, lectures and workshops, preservation of Shofuso, and much more.
